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| Arabia |
| Bin Laden's former bodyguard calls on youth to reject violence |
| 2010-05-13 |
| [Maghrebia] Nasser al-Bahri spent several years working as Osama bin Laden's bodyguard, fighting alongside the al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan and helping him enlist and indoctrinate youth from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Following a disagreement with bin Laden, al-Bahri left al-Qaeda and returned to Yemen in 2000, where he was imprisoned for 18 months and then released as a reformed jihadist. Al-Bahri today is still reaching out to youth, albeit for a different reason: to dissuade them from choosing the path of violence. In interviews with media outlets, al-Bahri acknowledges "ideological differences with the West", and speaks of "injustice" committed against Muslims. However, the man who started his jihadist career in Bosnia, and had short stints in Somalia and Tajikistan before joining bin Laden in Afghanistan, now says that dialogue, not violence, is the answer. Al-Shorfa's correspondent in Sanaa, Faisal Darem, sat down with al-Bahri to ask about this transformation, and about a book on bin Laden the man formerly known as "Abu Jandal" co-authored with a French writer. Al-Shorfa: Nasser al-Bahri -- what kind of person is he today, and what differentiates him from the young man who joined bin Laden in 1996? Nasser al-Bahri: There is a huge difference between the Nasser al-Bahri of today and the jihadi Abu Jandal. Back then I was an immature youth who was ill-informed about events taking place around me. I was looking for a means to fulfil an ambition, which materialised by joining Sheikh Osama bin Laden. I was involved in jihadi activities. Later on, I left al-Qaeda on my own volition. When I came back [to Yemen] I was imprisoned for one and a half years. I am able to face society and to re-integrate myself into it despite the fact that they know who Nasser al-Bahri is. I lead a normal life and I am engaged in training youth, educating and rehabilitating them. Al-Shorfa: Why did you leave al-Qaeda? Al-Bahri: The thought of leaving al-Qaeda came as a reaction to an incident that took place between Sheikh bin Laden and myself, after which I made the decision to leave. I must tell you that our decisions and stances within al-Qaeda were of a reactive nature. And I left because there was no bonding or perseverance and patience. Now, I live my life and enjoy it much more than when I fought and took up position in some hideout. I think Jihad takes many different forms, and calling people to Islam, reforming society and helping youth develop their capabilities are what I consider to be the most important forms of jihad. Al-Shorfa: How did you get the idea of writing a book about bin Laden? Al-Bahri: A French journalist who is an experienced biographer made the proposal. He published a book on Saddam Hussein. At first, I turned him down due to my commitments. I have children and a family, and I have to take care of them. The idea of writing this book originated three years ago, and we agreed to sit together and work intensively for 12 days, with an average of six hours per day. Al-Shorfa: In your book, you urge youth to not be pulled away by al-Qaeda. What are the means of persuasion that you use today? Al-Bahri: Al-Qaeda is one of the manifestations of violence, and I am against the use of violence in certain situations, and for the use of violence in others. Every time has its own circumstances and particularities surrounding it... I believe that dialogue is the most important means for intellectual persuasion, in addition to providing the right conditions for the Muslim youth, because through my experience of living with them in Afghanistan, I noticed that the harsh conditions of life had driven them to that situation, especially when they were deprived from earning a livelihood, so they would resort to jihad in order to restore some of their rights. Al-Shorfa: What would you say to the supporters of al-Qaeda today? Al-Bahri: I would say that the bombings taking place today in Yemen, which are meant to disrupt public peace as part of a certain agenda of killing innocent people, are unacceptable. The problem of al-Qaeda outside of Afghanistan is that it does not have a clear strategy, and it is not part of an overall hierarchical structure, and it does not have legitimacy as a religious and legal entity, such as working under the leadership of scholars. The fact is that these organisations have two or three students who issue fatwas, and this is wrong. That is why I urge young people not to hasten to take up arms and engage in fighting in order to preserve lives, which Allah has forbidden to take except with proper justification. Killing committed out of emotional reactions or anger is not Jihad... Al-Shorfa: What is the first task that you undertook for bin Laden? Al-Bahri: There were many tasks, and I can't remember any specific one. There was the task of holding discussions with the youth in order to convince them to enlist for Jihad, especially the youths arriving from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. My task included ideological argumentation and convincing, particularly when differences arose between the various groups affiliated with al-Qaeda. I would mend differences and rally the forces, in addition to acting as the personal bodyguard of bin Laden. I was also involved in fighting and skirmishes in Afghanistan and sustained injuries. Al-Shorfa: From your experience, what is the nature of the relationship between the leadership cadres of al-Qaeda and the subsidiary organisations such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or Iraq, or the Maghreb, and what are the differing aspects between them? Al-Bahri: We have never heard or received a statement from Osama bin Laden confirming the existence of a link between the organisation of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. However, these organisations attribute themselves to the parent al-Qaeda organisation, because one of the means of survival is to be affiliated to another group, and al-Qaeda is one of the most famous organisations in the Islamic World. This is why everyone wants to be affiliated to that organisation, despite the fact that there are other organisations such as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad... |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 "yes, boys wait till you're For some cultural reason, 18-25 year-olds are still considered "youth". |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-05-13 23:17 |
| #1 yes, boys wait till you're 18 and no longer a youth. |
| Posted by: HammerHead 2010-05-13 09:12 |